Description
Citizen participation is an essential element of any democratic system. Many observers focus on electoral participation but citizen participation is not only limited to voting in elections. There is a wide-ranging list of activities that citizens can take up in-between elections to influence elites and policy decisions. Recent examples include consumer boycotts of Nestlé products, climate demonstrations by various environmental groups, and farmers blocking highways in multiple European countries. Who is participating in these activities and to what aim? Can we call all of these forms of political participation? How much citizen participation is desirable for democracy? This seminar course discusses these questions and more by drawing om insights from the academic literature on citizen participation and applying them to contemporary examples in democratic countries.
Students who follow this course will learn about different ways of conceptualizing and theorizing citizen participation and assessing its desirability for democracy, before analysing who participates in various non-electoral activities. Then the course looks at different activities, their participants, and their effectiveness by looking at real-life examples in contemporary democracies.
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
Explain the core scientific concepts and theories of citizen participation;
Analyse who participates in non-electoral political activities;
Evaluate the potential implications of different forms of citizen participation on elites;
Apply the main theories and concepts of non-electoral participation to examples in contemporary democracies;
Participate in academic and political discussions on citizen participation.
Mode of instruction
Seminar, one 2-hour session a week. Attendance is mandatory.
Assessment method
The final grade consists of
a group project (25%)
a final assignment (60%)
in-class participation (15%)
Reading list
There will be no textbook for this course. Readings include book chapters and journal articles which will be available through the university library. The course syllabus will be made available via Brightspace before the start of the course.
Registration
See general information
Timetable
See 'MyTimetable'